Video

Clinton on lessons from Mandela

Aug. 7 - Former U.S. President Clinton in South Africa said Nelson Mandela taught him '' no one should allow the future to be dictated by the past''. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

TRANSCRIPT +

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: Former U.S. president Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea are in South Africa visiting some of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) projects across five African countries.
On Wednesday evening, Clinton, his daughter Chelsea and Professor Njabulo Ndebele of the Nelson Mandela Foundation had an interactive dialogue streamed live on Facebook from Pretoria showgrounds, where young people had an opportunity to ask them questions.
The global conversation, called Embrace Tomorrow, highlight African change makers, individuals and organizations working to take positive action in making Africa reach its full potential.
Clinton said, "One thing I learnt from Mandela was that no one should allow the future to be dictated by the past, that embracing the future was not just being a visionary it was about a way of life and that it is a choice not to allow the future to be dictated by the past," he said.
"If you look around wherever people are trying to settle old scores and obsessed with gaining an advantage over someone who once had an advantage over them, there's a lot of trouble," he added.
The conversation is build upon Nelson Mandela's belief in the possibility of tomorrow and on his continued ability to inspire people, communities, and organizations to take concrete action to help change the world for the better and give back to others.
Clinton paid tribute to his friend and ailing statesman Nelson Mandela who's been hospitalized for nearly two months with a recurring lung infection.
He said Madiba has inspired him a lot.
"Everywhere people who were thinking about working together to make something good happen, something good is happening and that's something I learnt from him," he said.
"Freedom requires letting go and reaching out, there's nothing after it, all the problems you've got you can solve if you just make up your mind and do it together," he told the audience.
"That's what I learnt from Nelson Mandela," he added.
Mandela ,South Africa's first black president, is known throughout the world as a towering statesman who led his country through bloodshed and turmoil to democracy.
Acclaimed by all sides of society in South Africa and recognized as the undoubted elder statesman and moral authority of Africa, he enjoys international affection, admiration and prestige.

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